Belonging
by artemis lecter
Summary: After Sarah solves the labyrinth... what if Jareth isn't happy about it? And what will happen to Sarah because of Jareth's fury? \
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing but a copy of the Labyrinth movie.

_She thinks she's gotten the better of me. _

A goblin entered the large room, carrying a tray set with ham, potatoes, a peach and a glass of wine. The same goblin ran, screaming, out of this same room five seconds later, covered in some of the food that had been on the tray. A great crash was heard in the room—then, silence.

The Goblin King paced in his room, working off some of the fury that had come over him so suddenly. The tray had clattered to the ground near the door, and there was a round, spindle-legged table that he had picked up and hurled at the wall opposite him. Clearly, he was having a bad day.

Two days. Two days since the human girl had solved the Labyrinth. _Cheated, more like. She had a ton of help. If that idiot Hedwart or whatever it is had grown a backbone, she would have failed._ Jareth seethed. She should have failed—she was **meant** to have failed. He had done everything to ensure she would not succeed, everything possible. And yet, with luck and friends, she had done the impossible.

He continued to pace. He had checked up on her, gazing into the crystals he conjured up. She seemed to be happy—she certainly got along better with her baby brother. Her ignorant, ungrateful parents seemed shocked by this change of heart, but Jareth understood. Sarah had never hated the baby to begin with. Her parents deserved to be tortured for their treatment of their daughter, however.

_But what to be done now?_ He had no reason to bring her back to the castle—she had beaten him, however unfairly, and she had taken her brother back. Obviously she had no intentions of wishing him away again.

Jareth growled, growing more frustrated by the minute. He stopped his pacing, and looked around his large bedroom briefly. Snarling, he strode to the chair near the window and grabbed his cloak from it. Then, standing on the window ledge, he suddenly vanished. A white bird could be seen flying above the labyrinth, flapping its wings as quickly as possible.

A/N: More?


	2. Visitor

Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed *big hugs*. I have every intention of making this story rather dark… and there will be mature content. I'm increasing the rating—you have been warned. This will be dark, and I know there will be those who don't like it, but bear with me. I'm a sucker for happy endings.

Sarah sat up in bed suddenly, looking around. _What the hell was that? _

She swung her legs out of bed, slipping them into the light blue slippers that were on the floor. Still slightly groggy, she stood up, rubbing her eyes. She took another look around the bedroom as her eyes adjusted—gasping as she spotted a shape in the corner.

After a moment, she realized that she recognized the figure, though that did not slow her heartbeat. Making an attempt to look unafraid, she crossed her arms over her chest and scowled, fully aware that all she was wearing was a thin nightgown with no bra.

Jareth smirked, his eyes roaming over her body. It was obvious that she was a very attractive girl; a little young, perhaps, but such things were not uncommon Underground. He could only imagine what she could be, when she was fully developed. _Head out of the gutter_, he inwardly snarled at himself. He couldn't help it though—his imagination was working at full speed, conjuring up scenarios in which she wanted him, would not refuse him.

Sarah awkwardly cleared her throat. _Ok, I guess I get to start the conversation…_

"Goblin King," she addressed him, trying to force her voice not to shake, and not quite succeeding. _What exactly does he want from me now? _She knew he harbored feelings toward her, but they were not the feelings she wanted from him, or any man. She was uninterested in a relationship in which she was a plaything.

Jareth bristled at her greeting. _I hate it when she calls me that; she knows my name. _Shaking it off, he stepped forward, ignoring the thought of how uncomfortable this must have made her. Sarah did indeed take the tiniest of steps backward, glancing behind her and noticing that she had nowhere to go.

The little voice inside Jareth's head spoke up at last. _What are you to do now, hm? Steal her from her room? And what would your excuse be? She didn't cheat. She didn't lose. And she'll laugh her ass off when she finds out that the mighty, formidable Goblin King is pining over her. _Jareth gritted his teeth. He knew perfectly well that she had won fairly—but he refused to leave without her.

"Sarah," he finally said. Sarah looked at him in confusion; Jareth knew how confused she must be. He wiped all emotion from his face—this was no time to let his feelings get the better of him.

"I have come to claim my prize," he stated, expression completely blank. Shock flashed across Sarah's face, quickly replaced by fury.

"Your prize?!" she shrieked, looking for all the world like she would lunge at him any moment and throttle him. _Thank God for immortality_, he thought wryly.

Sarah fought to keep her voice steady. "I beat you. I won. You have no right to claim anything."

Jareth thought that her bravery was admirable; it was a quality which he had always admired in her—part of what made her so appealing to him. Still… she was stubborn as hell, something which did not always make him appreciate her. _If she wasn't so stubborn, you wouldn't have met her in the first place,_ his inner voice noted. This was true enough.

"You cheated. You had help." Jareth almost felt guilty for causing her this pain. Still—if this trickery is what it took to make her come with him, then he would gladly take it.

Sarah's eyes welled up with tears. _There's no fighting him. No point_. "But… you have enough goblins! What do you need Toby for?"

Jareth momentarily blanched. _Is she that blind? Does she really think it was __**ever**__ about the boy?_ Best not to let her know, all the same. Best for her not to find out exactly how pathetic he was.

He pretended to think about it for a moment. "Well… I would be willing to spare Toby—in exchange for something else."

_What could he possibly want from me? What do I have to offer him so that he would spare Toby? _Sarah's mind scrambled to find a solution to the predicament in which she found herself.

Jareth, on the other hand, was more focused on the was she looked at that moment; the way she bit her lip when she thought hard about something, the little crease that had formed between her chocolate brown eyes. He felt his body begin to react to her beauty. _Idiot, think of something else… anything else…_

"Like what?"

Jareth snapped out of it. _Hmm? Oh…_

He paused for a moment, trying to find the correct way to phrase it. "Well… I daresay **you'll** do."

Jareth watched as her mouth opened, closed, opened again. Her face turned a brilliant shade of magenta as she obviously realized his intentions. Jareth waited on tenterhooks as Sarah's brain fought to make sense of things.

"So…" Sarah started slowly, "you want… me… to take Toby's place?"

"Ah," Jareth said. "Perhaps I have not been clear. You would not serve me as a goblin," he said, chuckling slightly at the thought. "You would live in my castle, in your own room," _for now_, he thought wickedly, "and you will do as I say. You will not leave unless I have given you permission to do so. I will provide everything for you, should you accept these terms. If you refuse me completely, your brother becomes a goblin." He stopped and watched her, letting this knowledge sink in.

_I don't want to_, Sarah thought. _But… Toby deserves to live. And what have I got here that's so great? School sucks. My parents don't like me much._ She bit her lip again thoughtfully. Then, she squared her shoulders and looked the goblin king directly in his mismatched eyes.

"Deal."

The world suddenly spun. Dizzy, Sarah closed her eyes tightly, wishing the feeling of vertigo would cease. For a few moments she felt this way—then, as quickly as it had started, she no longer felt as though she were in freefall, though her eyelids remained tightly squeezed shut.

There was a quiet chuckle from a few feet away. "You can open your eyes, Sarah. Welcome home."


	3. Strangeness

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

_A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! Hopefully I will be getting the chapters out more often—and that way, I'll be able to work on my other fictions afterward, too. I'll try not to interrupt the story unless absolutely necessary. HUGE thanks to all those who reviewed, and to those who story alerted this one =) Every one of those little messages in my email inbox brightened my day and fueled my desire to write more. Enjoy!_

_P.S I think this is the longest author's note I have EVER written. LOL_

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Eyes still closed, Sarah's nostrils filled with a pleasant aroma. Confused, her eyes snapped open. _French toast? _

A quick glance around told her that she was in a large, in a large, beautifully decorated bedroom, with a rather unattractive but obviously female goblin, who was holding a large tray full of delicious-smelling food. Sarah blinked in surprise.

"Breakfast, miss," the goblin said, setting the tray on a table next to the bed. Bowing quickly, the goblin exited the bedroom, leaving Sarah alone and very confused.

Sarah looked down at the tray. There was a plate of two slices of French toast, a bowl of sliced fruit (which happened to look very ripe and delicious), and a glass of orange juice. Her stomach growled. _Well, since it looks like I'll be here for awhile, I might as well… _

Fifteen minutes later, Sarah's plate was scraped clean and she was gulping down the last few drops of her orange juice. As if on cue, the same female goblin knocked on the door and entered her room. She bowed again and reached for the now-empty tray.

"There're some clothes for you in the wardrobe there, miss," the goblin said. She pointed at said wardrobe, which, Sarah, noticed, was about the size of her bedroom_. My old bedroom_, Sarah reminded herself sadly.

"I'm fairly certain his Highness is expecting to see you soon, miss," the goblin maid subtly hinted. "Best be gettin' a move on." With that, she bowed and retreated out the door, shutting it softly to give Sarah some privacy.

Slightly worried again, Sarah sighed and got to her feet, shuffling them across the cushy, light-colored carpet until she found herself standing in front of the colossal wardrobe. Taking a preparatory breath, she opened both of the cherry-stained doors.

About half of it was dresses. And not just plain old dresses. Sarah stared open-mouthed at them; while some were, though obviously more old-fashioned, suitable for day-to-day use, others were obviously much more formal. She had seen expensive prom dresses that were less formal than these. Still, looking further, Sarah noticed that there were several pairs of jeans and pants and a few plain—though obviously expensive—shirts and blouses.

Sarah looked into one of the two drawers below the doors of the wardrobe. In one, sleepwear; some comfortable cotton, some, fine silk and lace, though when she was ever going to wear these, she was unsure. In the bottom drawer, she found undergarments. Again, some were the more comfortable sort, but others were made entirely out of lace, and she was certain they wouldn't conceal much. _Do I want to know how he knew my bra size? _

Sarah selected plain, white cotton underwear and, after a moment's consideration, artfully torn light-blue jeans and a snug, long-sleeved emerald shirt.

Starting toward the door, Sarah suddenly paused, looking at her feet. Hm. Wonder how he'd react to me going barefoot. Glancing around yet again, Sarah noticed for the first time a chest near the wardrobe. Seeing no other alternative, as there was no closet, she popped the latch on the front and lifted the lid.

Sarah's eyes widened—then, she smirked. There, on the very top, amidst the high-heeled dress shoes and boots, and even some pricey sneakers… sat a pair of black Airwalk flip-flops. Her favorite. Sarah grinned slightly; this discovery had brightened her outlook on things considerably. Still smiling, she slipped her feet into the sandals (_Oh, how comfy…_) and made her way to the door, pausing only momentarily to check her reflection in the full-size mirror near the door. Satisfied that she didn't look like an idiot, she pulled open the door and stepped out into the long, elegant hallway.

_This place must be absolutely __**enormous**__!_ The hallway was longer than the length of her house, and it was extravagantly decorated; gorgeous paintings adorned the spotlessly clean walls, and a plush, wall-to-wall carpet red carpet ran the length of the hall. Every ten feet or so, there was another door, identical to the one she had just exited.

_So… where do I go?_ Sarah looked to the left, then to the right, not seeing a difference in either direction. Shrugging, she made her way to the left, hoping to find someone who could help her out. After about three minutes, she came to a double staircase, leading down into a well-lit, sunny room. She took these stairs, still glancing around her curiously. The room was large, and there were two hallways leading off of it, as well as two very large French doors directly in front of her. _I'm gonna get lost around here. _

Sarah heard a noise to her right. Turning, she noticed yet another goblin, who bowed as soon as he saw her.

"Pardon me, miss. But if you're looking for the king, his Highness is in the throne room, just down this hall." He motioned to the hall he had just come from.

"Oh, thank you," Sarah sighed. "I was getting worried. This place is huge!"

The servant offered her a friendly smile. "One gets used to it, miss. You'll learn your way around eventually." _I don't doubt it_, Sarah thought a little sadly. _Considering it seems like I'll be here for quite some time. _

"Well, thanks," she said, stepping toward the hall. The goblin bowed and moved away.

"My pleasure, miss."

As he continued toward the opposite hall, Sarah entered the one on her right, passing a few doors on either side before finally reaching a large, although rather dark, room. This room had a sunken floor and high windows, and a large throne in the center. Sitting in this throne, of course, was the king.

Jareth was staring at the opposite wall, and didn't seem to notice her enter the room. Sarah cleared her throat.

The goblin king's head snapped up. Jareth stood, bowing slightly to her. Sarah noticed his eyes roaming over her body, taking in the sight of her. He smiled a bit when he got to her feet. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Sarah was very confused. Why was he being so nice to her? Was she not a slave?

"Very well, thank you," she said cautiously. Jareth smirked slightly.

"Something seems to be troubling you. Are you alright?"

Sarah chose her words carefully, for fear that Jareth would do something rash. "No, I'm feeling fine. . . I'm just confused." She cleared her throat.

It was Jareth's turn to be confused. "How so? Is your room not acceptable? I can change anything you like. Perhaps a bigger bed? More t-shirts?" He looked worried. How strange.

"No, my room is perfect, thank you. More than I could have hoped for, in fact." She thought for a moment. "I thought . . . when I agreed to come her, I thought that it would be as a slave. I don't understand."

Jareth's expression changed. Suddenly he looked… relieved?

"Ah. That. Well, dear Sarah, I have decided that you can best suit me as a comfortable guest, for now. You just enjoy yourself. Let me or one of my servants know if there is anything we may do for you while you are here."

Sarah still felt uneasy. _Since when does he decide to go easy on me?_ However, if he was offering her a place to stay instead of a place to work, who was she to complain. . .

Sarah bowed her head ever so slightly. "Thank you." Jareth smiled.

"You are most welcome. Now, I have a meeting I must attend, and there is a rather large library just down the hall… may I show you to it?"

* * *

Jareth yawned. This meeting was ever so boring… prominent creatures from the goblin city who all wanted things. The usual. His mind was elsewhere.

He wasn't surprised that Sarah had been confused about her living arrangements. On the way back to the castle, he had decided it might be best for all involved if Sarah were to be comfortable before he asked her to be his queen. _You catch more flies with honey… _

Sarah seemed happy enough earlier when he had showed her the library, which he had filled with books that he happened to know she liked. She had been quite content to sit in one of the large armchairs and read the day away. After the meeting, he would have lunch with her. _Wonder how that will go_. Sarah always surprised him. And when he felt the time was right, he would ask her to marry him. And everything would be right again.

_A/N: This story is turning out to be a little fluffier than I anticipated, but it's coming along. I'm sorry about this chapter, actually… It doesn't seem to advance the plot much. Next chapter up soon though! Reviews please =) _


	4. Like a Knife

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Jareth… *naughty thoughts* Alas, I do not.

_A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Hopefully this chapter will have some conflict (hey, I'm just making this up as I go). _

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Sarah looked up from _Gone with the Wind_ at the sound of heavy footsteps coming toward her. The chair in which she sat was quite comfortable; she didn't see how she was going to find the willpower to get out of it.

Jareth peeked over her shoulder to see what literature she had been reading.

"_Gone With the Wind_?" he asked skeptically. He had figured her for the fairy tales and such.

Sarah blushed ever so slightly. "I like the romance story. Scarlett and Rhett were kind of made for each other," she said quietly. Jareth smiled a little; now he could understand the appeal the novel held for her.

He held his hand out to her. "I'm sorry my meeting took so long. Are you hungry?" Sarah's stomach growled in reply. Jareth laughed.

"Well, come then. I'll have something prepared. What would you like?"

Sarah looked embarrassed to be asked this. "Anything. I don't want to be too much trouble."

Jareth rolled his eyes. _What happened to the strong, demanding girl from a few days ago?_ She was a puzzle to him, which he longed to solve.

"Alright, if it makes you feel better. . . how about sandwiches?" Sarah looked pleased with this. "What do you like on yours? Ham? Turkey? Salami?" Sarah shrugged.

"Anything is alright. I'm not a picky eater."

They reached the dining room then, a long, elegant room with a large, cherry table that was able to seat ten. Jareth motioned to a chair next to the one at the head of the table, in which Sarah sat, still looking around. Jareth sat in the seat next to her, and immediately a goblin came out and asked what his Highness would like to eat. The goblins eyes raised right into its hair when Jareth told him.

"… Sandwiches, sire?" the goblin asked, looking skeptical. Jareth scowled, trying very hard not to raise his voice in front of Sarah, who looked timid enough as it was.

"Can you not hear? Yes, sandwiches. Bring a variety." The goblin bowed low, fearful of the goblin king's wrath. Jareth glared at the goblin's back as the servant returned to the kitchen, then turned to smile slightly at Sarah. Sarah smiled back shyly.

The king cleared his throat. "So… did you enjoy the library?" Sarah nodded.

"It's amazing, thank you," Sarah added, not quite looking into his eyes. Jareth tried not to sound impatient_. Since when do I make her shy? Is she ill?_

He thought for a moment, then realized this must all be quite new to her; she had to leave her home, her family, her friends, everything… it must take some getting used to. He smiled a bit, happy to understand a little of her mystery.

Their sandwiches arrived, and as Sarah dove into the salami and cheddar ones, Jareth smiled, content to be mostly silent for the duration of their meal.

* * *

Jareth whistled as he walked down the hallway leading away from his bedchambers. He was in a spectacularly good mood today, a fact that had not gone unnoticed by his servants; many of them had stopped and stared at their king in wonder as he roamed the halls of the vast castle. This was completely beyond Jareth's notice; he had much more pressing matters on his mind.

Sarah had been at the castle for three weeks. In that time, she and Jareth had talked quite a bit—always about simple things, like the books she was reading or things that were going on in the goblin city. Every day, Jareth made time to sit down with her without any interruptions and just chat. Like the first day, Sarah had seemed quiet, unwilling to speak to him, but after the first few days they had been able to speak without awkwardness. It had become routine for Sarah to dress and come downstairs to eat with

him each morning, and then for the two of them to go their separate ways for a few hours.

Jareth was certain that now would be a good time to mention his plans for Sarah in the future—most importantly, the bit about her marrying him. Oh, she would have to take some time to get used to it, and that was absolutely fine with him. But, he was sure that he could plant the idea into her head. _And what a magnificent queen she would be. _

Jareth entered the dining room and took his seat as usual, waiting until Sarah arrived to place his order with the kitchen. He sighed happily—his dreams and fantasies were all about to come true.

Sarah entered the room, dressed in dark blue jeans and a pink t-shirt. She looks ravishing. He had always been stunned by her beauty, but somehow he liked her even more dressed casually this way. She seemed more real.

Sarah smiled at him as she took her seat next to him.

"Good morning," she said. Jareth smiled back widely, noticing that today she had shampooed her hair with lavender shampoo and conditioner. The scent was absolutely intoxicating.

"Good morning, dear Sarah. What will we be having for breakfast this morning?" She thought for a moment, then her eyes brightened.

"Scrambled eggs with toast? And bacon?" Jareth chuckled; she always told him what she wanted in the form of a question.

"Eggs, toast, and bacon, coming right up." He called over the cook and told him what she wanted, and ordered Spam and eggs for himself (Jareth had discovered, many years ago on a visit to the Aboveground, that Spam, although a strange concoction that no doubt had bat's eyes or some other strange ingredient in it, tasted amazing when fried.).

Their food was out quickly, and Jareth and Sarah both ate a few bites before speaking. Jareth cleared his throat, already having planned what he was going to say.

"Sarah… you've been here for three weeks now."

Sarah nodded, swallowing her eggs. "Yes."

"Do you like it here?" the king asked.

Sarah thought for a moment. It was true that she missed her family. However, all things considered, the life in the Underground could have been much worse. Jareth's kindness had been much more than she had expected.

"Hm… I suppose I am, yes. I miss my family. But I'm happy enough here."

Jareth frowned a little at that. He had hoped he could make her forget all about her family simply by treating her the way he had been. Maybe with some more time…

"Well, Sarah… as you may know, I have been speaking to a few people about the Underground, and the way I am running it. You know there are certain rules." Sarah was familiar with this; the king had had to attend many a meeting about how the Underground was being run. The goblin city was not the only place in the Underground; there were many more, and the rulers of these places got together once in a while and discussed rules as to how things should be managed. Jareth had never gone into details (and that was all well and good, considering how boring some of the topics were to Sarah) but she knew it was all very important.

Sarah nodded for him to continue.

"Well… one of the rules is that a ruler must have someone who can take their place occasionally, say, if the ruler were called away, or if they were to fall ill. Some people have named public officials as their right hand man, shall we say. Others have chosen their children. I have no children, and there is no one I trust to take my place in the goblin city."

Sarah nodded, looking quite confused. Jareth understood completely—all this talking and explaining was confusing him, as well. Why can't I just come out and say it? Ah, but I must fully explain.

"Another option … is to marry."

Sarah thought this was making a little more sense. She nodded, happy for Jareth. _No wonder he's in such a good mood!_

"So you found someone, then? Who's the lucky girl?" she asked, smiling at him.

_Hm. I was so sure she'd understand right away_, Jareth thought.

"Well, Sarah dear, I was hoping you would agree to marry me."

One could have heard a pin drop in that dining room.

Sarah stared stupidly at the goblin king for several seconds, not comprehending. Then, horror washed over her as she fully understood his intentions.

"What… is that why you brought me here?"

Jareth was no longer smiling. _Why is she upset? _

A tear rolled down Sarah's cheek. "I miss my brother… I miss my life. You took all of that away from me because you want to marry me? It would be a reasonable request, if you had any feelings for me, but I'm just a toy to you. Something you can play around with whenever you feel like it."

Jareth felt himself getting angry, and he glared at her. _I've no feelings for her, have I? _

"This is your answer? You refuse to marry me?" he asked coldly.

Sarah looked him straight in the eye, defiance burning in hers. "Not if I had the choice between that or death."

Jareth nodded once, not feeling anything but rage building deep inside his chest. He had given her everything. And she repaid him this way.

"Well."

Sarah kept her eyes focused on her plate, not daring to look at him now that she had said her piece. And it was just as well—Jareth had not felt fury like this in a few hundred years.

"Well, now," he said softly. "If you refuse to be my queen… I see no reason why you should be treated like one."

He snapped his fingers. One of the servants from the kitchen came out and bowed to him. Jareth motioned to Sarah.

"Take her to the servant's quarters and find her a place there. It's time she earned her keep."

The goblin walked around and grabbed Sarah's wrist, steering her away from the half-eaten food on her plate toward a hallway. Jareth did not look up as she was led out.

* * *

Sarah was led down a hallway, then down a few flights of stairs. She reached what she supposed was the basement of the castle. The goblin led her to a room here, opening the door and motioning for her to step inside.

There was a cot and a table with an oil lamp on it—nothing more. The goblin looked at her, and she could see the pity welled up in his eyes.

"This is where you will stay, miss," he said quietly. "Someone will wake you when your chores are to be begun; for today, I think you shall have the day off to collect your thoughts."

The goblin turned to exit, then looked back at her one last time. "Good luck." He left her, and Sarah, after a moment, flung herself onto the bed and sobbed until she fell asleep.


	5. Cope

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth.

_A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading, and big thanks to those who reviewed! This story isn't exactly one of my favorites… but hopefully it will come along as I write it. Please review-- it really helps!_

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Sarah blearily opened her eyes, expecting to see her large room with the enormous window facing the garden, and the possessions she had come by since being brought to the Underground. What she saw, however, was a grimy, gray wall; dirt and filth covered everything. She felt uncomfortable where she lay—this was clearly not her big, comfy bed.

Everything came rushing back to her: the anger on the king's face, how he had banished her here. She resisted the urge to cry.

She was absolutely certain that the only reason Jareth wanted to marry her was so that he could continue to rule, as he had not named anyone worthy of assisting him. _ I couldn't marry him just because he has rules to follow. I'm not just an object! _

She sat up on the cot, looking around her again. She sighed. There really wasn't much to look at.

Someone knocked on her door, then opened it without waiting for an answer. A female goblin came in, and Sarah noticed that it was the one who had brought her breakfast the first day. Like the goblin from yesterday, she had pity in her eyes.

"Good, you're up. Come on, dear, there's work to be done." She motioned for Sarah to follow her, and led the way down the hall. They came to an empty, larger room, where the goblin went in a closet and pulled out something old and black. She handed the thing to Sarah. It was an apron.

"I'll help you for today. We don't have a lot of hard work to do; it's just a **lot **of work," the goblin said, smiling a bit. "You'll be alright."

The goblin motioned again, this time toward a door. She opened it and entered, following a very short hall to a flight of stairs. "My name's Bennie, by the way," she added.

They reached the top of the stairs, and Sarah noticed that they were in a kitchen. She had never been back here before.

"Now," said Bennie, grabbing a tray and various other items from the cupboards, "since his majesty is no longer dining with you in the morning…" she looked apologetically up at Sarah, "someone needs to take him his breakfast. That's usually me." Bennie looked a little proud. "I'm one of the best servants here. It helps that I've been here for about fifty years, though," she added, winking at Sarah. Sarah was surprised; Bennie didn't look older than twenty-five.

The cook was already scrambling eggs. He did not look surprised to see Sarah in the slightest, having been nearby when she and the king had had their discussion. He paid her no attention, for which Sarah was grateful.

"I'll give his Highness his breakfast. In his room, right next to the door, there is a laundry hamper. Your job is to grab that hamper and take it into the hall, where you will wait for me. I'll show you to the laundry room after that." Bennie looked at Sarah was a solemn expression on her face. "Now, this is very important: the king will mock you. Be prepared for it. But don't sass back. He's not above punishing you, dear," she said as she handed the cook a plate on which to place the eggs he had just finished.

Sarah nodded. She didn't doubt that Jareth would punish her for the smallest thing.

Bennie handed Sarah a glass. "Orange juice from the refrigerator," she said, nodding her head at the large appliance. Sarah did as she was told, placing the glass of juice in the place where she saw her glasses placed every morning. Bennie nodded her head in approval.

The goblin picked up the tray once it was laden with food, waving her hand at Sarah. Sarah followed, fear bubbling in her stomach. They walked up several more flights of stairs, to the French doors where the king slept. Bennie knocked on the door three times, and waited.

"Enter."

Bennie opened to door and bustled in, Sarah following behind her. Sarah took a quick peek at the king, who still sat on his bed. He certainly looked irritated. Sarah hastily lowered her eyes, refusing to make eye contact. She looked by the door, and started toward the laundry hamper.

"So, Sarah," Jareth drawled. Sarah could hear the smirk in his voice; he liked knowing that she was unhappy. "How has your morning been?"

Sarah quickly glanced at Bennie, who did not look at her but nodded her head. Sarah looked at Jareth.

"Very well, your Majesty, thank you."

Jareth scowled, clearly not expecting to hear this. When he said nothing else, Sarah lifted the laundry hamper and moved to the door. She sighed when she got out to the hall; thankfully, nothing too terrible had happened.

Bennie followed seconds later, shutting the door behind her. "Very good," she whispered to Sarah.

* * *

The day continued on much the same. Sarah had washed and hung Jareth's laundry, swept and mopped the dining room and the kitchen, and had even helped prepare the king's dinner. The food for her was not as good as it had been when she was considered a guest, but the cook had made certain that she had gotten plenty to eat.

Now Sarah sat on the floor in the large room in the basement, a sort of common room for the servants. This time, there were several other goblins, some of whom she recognized, others she did not. Sarah longed for a book to read, but she knew better than to ask for one.

A goblin walked by and stepped on her heel. Sarah yelped in pain. The goblin looked down at where she sat and sneered.

"I'm so sorry, miss," he snarled, clearly meaning the opposite. "Did I hurt your clean, well taken-care of feet?" He looked as if he wanted to hit her again.

"Barty," a loud voice snapped. Sarah looked over to see that it was Bennie. Bennie walked over to where Sarah and the male goblin where, and poked Barty in the chest.

"You should be ashamed. Has she ever done anything to you? It's not her fault she's here. And you know that well enough."

Barty looked slightly embarrassed. He looked at Sarah one last time, then hurried on by without apologizing. Bennie looked down at Sarah at smiled.

"Don't let that bother you. Some folks are upset for some reason that you're here. Pay no mind to it." Sarah nodded. I'll be happy just to get through everything else, without the antagonism of the other goblins.

"I think I'll turn in." Bennie nodded, understanding that Sarah's mind couldn't cope with any more. Sarah walked away, back down the grimy hall to her filthy bedroom, and lay down on the cot. A single tear escaped her eye, but she wiped it away. _No more tears._


	6. Guilt

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth.

* * *

Jareth paced his bedroom, his hands clasped behind his back. One of the servants would be bringing him breakfast soon, but Jareth had been up for hours anyway. He had been having trouble sleeping lately.

_Who are you kidding, you idiot. You know exactly what's bothering you._

Jareth had been hoping that by sending Sarah to the servant's quarters and forcing her to work, she would come back begging for him to allow her a second chance. Obviously, that had not happened. She had immersed herself in work, completing her tasks far more quickly than anyone else. She also did not speak to him; when she came into contact with him, she was very polite and always referred to him as "your Majesty".

It had been two weeks. Jareth had noticed slight changes in her; Sarah had gotten much thinner, and much more timid. He missed her fire, her spirit.

_If she doesn't come back to me I just might beg her to return…_

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. "Enter," he said. His favorite goblin, Bennie, came in. Jareth immediately noticed the absence of Sarah, who usually came with Bennie in the mornings.

"Erm… where is Sarah?" he asked, wishing he sounded more nonchalant. Bennie set his tray down on the table next to his bed, and he could tell she saw right through him.

"Sarah has a cold, your Majesty. She'll not be working today; I'll be taking her chores instead." Her eyes seemed to plead with him, begging him not to force Sarah to work. Jareth began to worry. _Is Sarah alright?_

Bennie picked up the hamper next to the door and started to leave, then set it down and turned, eyeing him cautiously.

"You know, your Majesty," she said slowly, "it's been about two weeks since Sarah came to stay in the servant's quarters. And… she doesn't go on about it, but I know your treatment of her hurts her… as much as it hurts you." She looked the king straight in the eye, and Jareth knew she was right. With that, Bennie turned and left the king to his thoughts.

* * *

An hour later, Jareth was making his way down to the room in which he had banished Sarah. He had had quite a few stares by now—he hadn't come down to the servant's quarters in probably a hundred years.

Jareth took a deep breath and knocked on the door where Sarah was.

"Come in," a voice croaked.

Jareth opened the door to the small room, and instantly felt remorseful that he had forced her to come here. The place was filthy.

Sarah sat up as soon as she saw Jareth, inclining her head slightly. Jareth saw that her face was flushed, and there were dark circles under her eyes. _God, she's really sick. _

He cleared his throat nervously, then strode to the bed, sitting down next to her. He didn't like the way she shied away from him when he came close to her, nor did he like that she would not meet his eyes. She was a strong woman, he knew this. So why be afraid of him?

"Look at me," he said softly, putting his hands on either side of her face and pulling it upward so her eyes met his. She looked terrible. He felt her forehead; it scalded his hand. _I'm such a git._

He looked into her eyes for a moment. "Are you alright?" he asked, still using the soft voice he might have used if he were talking to a spooked animal. Sarah nodded, then turned her head, coughing. The sound was awful, like her chest was ripping to pieces.

Jareth gritted his teeth. He missed **his** Sarah. He had been the one to cause this weak version of her to surface. And he could not stand to see her suffering.

He stood. "Come on, love," he said softly, putting one arm under her knees and one arm behind her. Sarah's eyes widened, startled.

"What are you doing?" she asked, panicked. Jareth looked at her, straight into her beautiful green eyes.

"Taking care of you. Now hush." He lifted her and exited out into the hall, ignoring her protests.

* * *

A/N: Short, I know! I'm sorry. Next one up soon… With more drama, I assure you. This isn't as dark as I had originally envisioned—sorry. Please review!

Edit: A huge, whopping thanks to the reviewer who pointed out that Sarah's eyes are green, not brown *sheepish smile*


	7. Changes

Disclaimer: I own nothing. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this work.

A/n: Thanks SO much for all the reviews! Much appreciated. =)

Sarah blinked groggily, her eyes opening only slightly. The shades had been pulled on the windows, though some sunlight leaked through. Sitting up, Sarah rubbed her eyes and looked around.

The room she was in was not the one she had been in before. This room was slightly larger, and decorated in cool blue and green hues. She sat in a large bed, covered in a dark blue bedspread. She glanced around a little more, and started when she saw a very familiar body in a chair.

Jareth sat in a large, cushy-looking armchair, clearly asleep. Sarah noted how peaceful he looked when he slept; the stress he dealt with every day didn't mar his features.

Still glancing at the king, she slowly uncovered her legs, noting that she had somehow found her way into a beautiful silk nightgown, and crept out of the large bed. She tiptoed to the door.

"Hold it."

Damn.

Jareth had sat up, and was now looking at her. Sarah did not quite know what to say. After a moment, she settled for, "Good morning, your majesty."

Jareth sighed, standing up and stretching. Sarah couldn't help but notice how feline-like he seemed sometimes. The thought almost made her smile.

Jareth walked to her. Sarah lowered her eyes, keeping her gaze focused on the floor. She saw his boots appear less than a foot away from her. A foot tapped on the floor impatiently. Then a sigh.

"How are you feeling?" Jareth asked softly.

Still keeping her eyes on the floor, Sarah replied, "Perfectly fine, your majesty." I wonder if he wants me to get back to work. I could really use another day in bed… She felt freezing cold, and her head hurt.

Much to her surprise, Jareth made an exasperated noise. A hand grabbed under her chin, forcing her to look upward. Sarah was afraid of the look in his eyes—angry, and, for some reason, what seemed to be sadness.

"Stop," he gritted out, "calling me 'your majesty'".

Sarah was confused. And then, she was angry. She felt her jaw tighten and she glared at the king.

"You," she began accusingly, "are the one who made me a servant in the first place. I can't help it if it's been ingrained in me now to call you that. **AND**," she continued, "I will call you whatever I damn well please!"

Gaping, Jareth stared at her as she caught her breath after her tangent. Then, he smiled, a wide, toothy grin. _Atta girl. And she's bloody gorgeous when she gets angry…_ Jareth's eyes wandered down to her heaving chest, noting the changes in his body as he did so. _Delicious._

"Glad you're feeling well enough to be belligerent love," he said, smirking cockily. "However, I can guarantee you could do with some more rest. So here's the deal. You get your skinny backside back in that bed," he said, pointing to said bed. "And if you allow yourself to be taken care of until I'm satisfied you're well again, you may do as you please, so long as you stay in the goblin city."

Sarah looked in his eyes, confused. "But… aren't I a servant?"

Jareth felt a tug at his heart at her words. _Is there any point in telling her anything other than the truth?_

"Not for now you're not, love," he said softly. "I missed you too damn much." He leaned forward then and kissed her swiftly on the forehead, quickly walking out of the bedroom as Sarah stood, stunned, before turning and climbing back under the sheets for a long nap.


	8. Confusion

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, no money is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

Sarah woke from her nap feeling much better, and quite refreshed. She noticed that someone had opened the blinds a bit, letting in some natural sunlight, and there was a tray next to her with fruit on it. She took an apple—pointedly avoiding the peach that had been sent with the tray—and ate it slowly, thinking.

Jareth had been very strange earlier. She supposed he felt some remorse for making her a slave to him. He wasn't entirely a bad person, she knew. She just... didn't agree with the way he occasionally treated her. As if she were a thing, rather than a person with feelings.

A knock came on the door before Sarah had time to think about much else. She called for him or her to enter, and was surprised when a bashful-looking goblin king walked through the door. Sarah lowered her eyes to the bed.

Jareth tsked. "Not that again?" Sarah raised her eyes to meet his, and saw that he seemed satisfied that she had done so. He strode to the bed, sitting on the end of it near her feet.

"Now," he began, "how are you feeling?" His eyes darted to the tray next to her, checking to see that she had eaten something.

"Much better, thank you." Sarah found that, at least, she could speak to him like a normal person instead of being nervous around him. Jareth nodded, glancing out the window behind him. Sarah absentmindedly played with the comforter on the bed.

"Alright, then," Jareth said, standing up once more. "Do you think you'll be alright to come join me for dinner in an hour? Since obviously the fruit isn't to your liking at the present time." Sarah nodded a bit shyly. Jareth nodded again. Does he seem like something's bothering him? Sarah wondered. The king strode out the door again, leaving Sarah to wonder what was bothering him.

About ten minutes after the king had left, as Sarah was starting to worry about whether she was going to be dining with the king in pajamas, a knock came on the door. Calling for the person to enter, Sarah was delighted to see Bennie coming in, smiling warmly at the brunette teen.

"Bennie!" Sarah jumped off the bed and ran to her friend, bending down and hugging her. "How are you?"

"Oh, just fine," Bennie replied, grinning. "Nice to see his Majesty came to his senses."

Sarah frowned a little at that. "Yeah, he's been really weird…"

Bennie looked at her, a little puzzled. "'Weird'? How so, dear?" Sarah told her about the king's quietness, and how he was treating Sarah differently than before.

"It's like he never sent me to the servant's quarters and treated me like…like I didn't matter," she finished, worrying her lip with her teeth. Bennie nodded, understanding.

"I expect he feels bad about what happened between you two. Don't give me that, missy," she added, seeing the cynical look on Sarah's face. "He cares about you, whether you want to believe it or not."

"No, he doesn't," Sarah protested, shaking her head. "He finds me amusing. And I'll admit—I enjoy being around him, when he's not being a jackass. But he doesn't care about me the way I want him to." Sarah blushed. She knew she had feelings for the king; she had just never told anyone about it. And why should she? If it got back to Jareth that she had admitted her little crush on him, he would simply use it against her.

Bennie, of course, caught on right away. "Like you want him to?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "Does he know that you love him?"

Sarah's eyes widened. "Love? No. I—" She paused for a moment. She cared about him, and found him attractive. But did she love him? "No. He doesn't know how I feel. And I'm not entirely sure it's love, either." Her voice sounded uncertain.

Bennie smiled, a very toothy grin. "You know, Sarah… for a bright girl, you're incredibly stupid."

With that, the she-goblin turned and walked away, leaving Sarah dumbfounded.

Half an hour later, Sarah walked down the stairs, no less confused than she had been during her conversation with Bennie. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, none of which made sense. It was nonsensical.

Jareth was already sitting in his regular seat at the large dining table, one hand propping up his head, the other drumming his fingers on the table. Sarah stood in the doorway for a moment, hesitant. She cleared her throat, and the goblin king looked up at her.

_Weird. He looks really happy to see me. _

Sarah walked into the dining room, glancing around anxiously. Jareth stood and made his way to the chair directly opposite him, pulling it out for her. The king ignored the look of shock on Sarah's face at his chivalry.

Sarah sat, looking curiously at Jareth. _Why such a big change? He was perfectly fine with treating me like dirt before._

Jareth looked at her, noticing the small smudges of dirt on her clothes. She had washed her hands an face before coming to dine with him, that was obvious, but it looked like she had not bathed properly in a few weeks. _Which is probably exactly right_, Jareth thought, gritting his teeth.

"After dinner," Jareth said softly, "I'll have a bath drawn for you." Sarah blushed—she must be filthy.

Jareth smiled at the reddening of her cheeks. "How are you feeling now?"

Sarah was quiet for a moment. She wasn't nauseous anymore, and she didn't feel like she was freezing. "Much better, your maj—," Her eyes widened at the mistake. She glanced up at Jareth, and was surprised to find him smiling. Sarah blushed even more deeply. "Just a headache now," she mumbled, looking down at the table.

Jareth, though amused, was slightly confused. _Why is she still afraid of me?_

Jareth put it out of his mind for the time being—Sarah needed some good food in her stomach. "What would you like to eat?"

Sarah bit her lip, thinking about it. She didn't want to ask for too much, but at the same time it had been a few weeks since she had been completely full.

"Some soup?" Jareth prompted, noticing her hesitation. Sarah bit her lip, looking at him.

"Maybe a French dip sandwich? With fries?" Sarah looked hopeful.

_She's so adorable_, Jareth inwardly chuckled. "Of course, love."

He made a waving motion, and immediately the cook was at his side. Sarah felt a sharp pang—while she had gotten away from life as a servant, albeit temporarily, the other servants still had to live their lives obeying the commands of others.

"Sarah would like the French dip with fries," Jareth told the cook, having missed the pained expression on Sarah's face, "and I… I think I'll have the same, actually," he finished. "And two Cokes, please."

The cook bowed to the king, and turned to Sarah. He bowed at her as well, and as he stood, he winked at Sarah. Sarah grinned, glad that he wasn't angry with her.

Jareth and Sarah sat in silence until their food came. They thanked the cook and began eating. After a few more minutes, Sarah felt that the silence was becoming too uncomfortable, and searched for something to say.

"Um… this is very, very good," she murmured, motioning at her half-eaten sandwich. Jareth smiled slightly at her.

"That's good. I'm glad you're enjoying it."

Silence.

A beat. Then--

"Alright, what is it!"

Jareth looked up, surprised. _What's she going on about?_

"Er… my apologies, Sarah, but I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." He looked at her, puzzled, and was surprised to see that she looked a little angry.

"Oh, yes you do. First you treat me like dirt. Then you take care of me, and now you're eating fries and drinking Cokes with me like nothing happened. _What do you want from me?"_

As usual after a tangent, Sarah's face was flushed, and Jareth loved it. He looked at her, clearly amused. Sarah's eyes dropped to the table.

"I just... don't understand."

Jareth looked at her for a moment, then heaved a sigh.

"I thought… I thought if I forced you to stay here, you would begin to care for me," he said, so softly Sarah wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. She stared, wide-eyed, at him, until he looked back. He smiled slightly.

"Obviously it didn't work, eh? So I don't know what to do with you. I obviously want you to stay," he smiled a bit.

Sarah was confused. "But… why?"

Jareth raised his eyebrows at her.

"Are you sure you don't already know?"

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! The next chapter should be up soon—and thanks to everyone who reviewed!


	9. Admission

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I'm really sorry about the long wait- I've been working on some other fanfiction, as well as dealing with the insanity that is my life. This definitely is not one of my favorite fanfictions. However, I believe in finishing what you started, and maybe as I finish I'll grow to like it. I plan on going back and correcting some errors I noticed- for now, here's the next chapter. Reviews, please. ^_^

* * *

Sarah paced her room, reeling. She was sure she must have fallen asleep at some point, and this was all some really, really weird dream. In what reality would Jareth the Goblin King have confessed that he loved her? She reflected on what Bennie had told her, then shook her head. Insanity.

After dinner, which had been spent in silence after her brief outburst, she had gone directly up to her room, shut the door, and flung herself (rather dramatically, she had to admit) onto her bed. After about ten minutes of trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep, she had gotten up and started walking back and forth, trying to make sense of the snarl that was her thoughts.

She wasn't sure whether or not to believe Jareth. _He wouldn't be above lying about loving me to get me to marry him_, she thought angrily. He was terribly unpredictable.

She glanced out the window. She noticed that outside the castle, a flower garden had been planted. All sorts of beautiful flowers, some of which she was sure must be indigenous to the Underground, were planted. The effect was quite nice, and she found herself smiling.

"Do you like it?" a voice asked, startling her. She was surprised to see Jareth standing behind her—when had he come in?

He smiled apologetically. "Your door was open a little, and I saw you looking out the window. I hoped you would like it—I had it planted this morning." She noticed that his voice was very soft, as though he was trying not to frighten or intimidate her. She had heard people use a similar tone of voice with a spooked animal.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, looking out the large window again.

"Thank you. I picked out the flowers myself." Slightly surprising—Sarah didn't think Jareth struck her as much of a flower person.

They were silent a moment. Sarah looked back at him, then sighed.

"This is a mess," she muttered, going to sit on the edge of the colossal bed. He followed and sat next to her.

"I have to agree. Trust me, this isn't how I imagined things to work out. You are the last person I would have expected to… have these feelings for." Sarah found it a little funny that he had an issue with saying the word "love."

She eyed him warily. "And you're not just pulling my leg."

He clutched his chest in mock agony. "Oh, you wound me. Would I do such a thing?" He grinned at her wry expression.

He became serious again. "I'm sorry for what I've done. It was the worst mistake of my extremely long life, treating you the way I did. I'll do anything to make up for it." Sarah noticed that he looked absolutely contrite, and she pitied him. She sighed.

"It's okay."

He looked at her, and his expression was hard. "No, it's not. It was still inexcusable." He paused.

"I love you, Sarah."

It was the first time he had said it, and at once she believed him. She could not fathom why—perhaps it was the sincerity in his voice—but she did not doubt him. And in his admission, she realized the same was true for her.

She felt winded, as though she had been running. When had this happened? She knew that she had feelings for him, but as he told her his feelings for her, she realized that it was deeper than a crush. She really did love him. _What do you know_, she thought wryly. _Bennie was right._

"I can't do this," she whispered. "What about my family? What about my life?"

Jareth gently turned her head towards him by her chin. He took in a breath, and Sarah could see how unsettled he was.

"I could provide for you. You already have friends here, and I could have Toby brought to visit any time you wish, with no one Aboveground any the wiser. You have already said that you wouldn't miss your parents. And… I'm sure that, given time, you would come to care about me. I'd do anything for you, Sarah." He clearly was unaware of the epiphany Sarah had had. She saw no need to enlighten him just yet, until she sorted things out for herself.

She looked at him, and smiled slightly. "Do you think maybe I could think about things or just a little while?"

He smiled back at her. "Anything you need, love. Always." Sarah was still slightly surprised at this gentler version of the Goblin King. It was an abrupt about-face from the Jareth she had seen even a day ago. _I could get used to this. _

Jareth stood, the leaned down and kissed her on her cheek. She felt her cheeks burn in response.

"Goodnight, Sarah." He exited the room, leaving her to her thoughts.

_Well_, he thought as he walked down the hall, _at least she didn't yell at me again._


	10. Riding

Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing.

* * *

Jareth stretched in his oversized bed, yawning slightly. It had taken him a rather long time to fall asleep the previous evening; much of the night was spent attempting to read a book, when he wasn't thinking about Sarah.

He hoped she would come around soon enough—he had tried his hardest to make her comfortable in the events following her… enslavement. As Jareth reflected on those weeks, he realized that he truly was ashamed of what he had done. Sarah hadn't deserved the harsh treatment he had given her.

He swung his legs out of bed, stretching once more. He wanted to do something nice for her. But this wasn't really his forte. Being nice to people was very new to him.

He knew she had made friends with his servants in the time that she had stayed in their quarters. The female goblin who came to his room every morning in particular was a good companion of Sarah's. _Maybe she would know how best to please Sarah… _

As if she had heard his thoughts, the goblin came in, carrying his tray of breakfast as usual. She did not make eye contact as she set the tray on is bedside table.

"Erm… Bennie," he said, interrupting her as she went to retrieve his laundry basket. She looked up, and Jareth could see that she was not at all surprised at his addressing her.

"You're good friends with Sarah," he said, not really making it a question. Bennie nodded, straightening up. Jareth sighed.

"I want to do something nice for her," he said. Bennie raised her eyebrows. _Cheeky. I hope she knows the only reason she's going to get away with that is because Sarah is fond of her. _

"Well, your Majesty," she said, abandoning her chore and stepping nearer. "What did you have in mind?"

Jareth sighed exasperatedly. "I don't know," he said. "That would be why I'm asking you." He thought hard. He had had the garden planted, and she seemed to appreciate it. _But what else would make her happy?_

Bennie seemed to be thinking, too, and Jareth was relieved she was taking this seriously.

"You know," Bennie said after a few silent moments, "she hasn't really seen the outside of the castle, except for the Labyrinth. It might be nice for her to see the more beautiful parts of the Underground." She paused. "And if Sarah is to be persuaded to stay for an extended period of time, she may be more willing if she were to see how wonderful the Underground can be."

Jareth could have kissed her. _That's a brilliant idea!_ He then controlled his features. It wouldn't do for the servants to hear that their king has gone soft.

"Thank you," he said stiffly. Bennie had the gall to smirk. He looked at the platter of food on his table.

"And I think I would prefer to dine in the breakfast room. If she is amenable, I would like Sarah to join me as well."

"As you wish, your Majesty," the goblin said, bowing. She grabbed the laundry basket in one hand and his breakfast in the other and made her way out of the room. Jareth thought he could hear her whistling as she walked down the corridor.

He was dressed and waiting at the breakfast table when she came down to meet him. She was once again wearing jeans, with a short-sleeved navy blue t-shirt that hugged her curves just right. Jareth had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping; leave it to Sarah to make jeans and a t-shirt sexy. He found himself rather glad that he had sent someone Aboveground to get what Sarah would consider "normal" clothes.

He stood when she approached, sitting back down again when she found her seat. The breakfast table was much smaller than the table they used for formal dinners, and Sarah had little choice but to sit next to him.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her politely. She nodded, resting her hands on the table top.

"I did, thank you. And you?"

He shrugged slightly, smiling. "I've slept worse." He glanced over at the doors—a goblin was waiting to take their breakfast order.

"What would you like this morning?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment. "French toast?"

He nodded, waving the goblin over.

"Sarah would like French toast, and I would like a ham and cheese omelet." He paused. "Please." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sarah raise her eyebrows at his last remark. The goblin looked surprised as well, but quickly controlled his expression.

"Right away, your Majesty," he said, bowing. He quickly made his way back out, and Jareth was sure he'd be telling all of the servants in the kitchen that the King actually had manners. Jareth scowled. _I love her, but I'm quickly losing my reputation._

"That was kind of you," he heard Sarah say quietly. He glanced at her, and was glad to see that she looked pleased. It appeared merely being nicer to the goblins made Sarah happy_. I could do that. No problem. Hell with a reputation—it makes Sarah happy._

"So," he said, snapping himself out of his internal monologue, "do you have any plans for today?" She shook her head. _Obviously not feeling very conversational this morning._ He would have to work on that.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind going out with me. I haven't ridden my horse in some time. We could go together." He worked to keep the hope out of his voice.

Sarah nodded. "I'd like that."

Inwardly Jareth cheered himself on. _Yes!_ He reflected that he sounded like a human teenage boy, then banished the thought.

Their food arrived quickly; thick French toast with bacon and a glass of milk for Sarah, and a fluffy, cheesy omelet with sausage and coffee for Jareth. Jareth asked the goblin serving them—politely- to get the horses ready. They ate in companionable silence.

Wiping her face with a napkin, Sarah looked up at him. "So, when are we heading out?"

Jareth downed the rest of his coffee. "How about now?" He stood, turning away from the table, then stopped when he realized that Sarah was collecting the dishes. He opened his mouth to tell her not to worry about it, then shook his head, smiling. He strode back, taking the glasses and flatware from her. She looked surprised, then smiled very slightly. She led the way to the kitchen, which Jareth realized he had never really seen. It looked like a very busy place; dishes stacked neatly next to a large washing tub, several ovens going already in preparation for dinner. Sarah stacked the plates, after scraping them, with the rest next to the sink, and reached out of the glasses and silverware from Jareth. The cook, turned, hearing the clatter of the dishes.

"Oh, thank you, Sarah—" he began, cutting short when he saw the king standing in the kitchen. His eyes widened, ticking back and forth from Sarah to Jareth for a moment, then shook his head as to snap himself out of a daze. Jareth saw Sarah smile slightly at the cook's reaction to the strange anomaly that was the king actually helping someone. She turned and led the way out of the kitchen. Jareth followed bemusedly.

Jareth motioned for Sarah to follow him, leading her to a different door than the one she was familiar with. This one led to the vast back courtyard, which led out to a stable about two minutes' walk away. Jareth showed her to the stable, indicating his stallion, Shadow. He was ebony black, and father to many of the other horses in the stable. He had about ten of them in all; a foal, only a few months old and staying close to its mother for now; a few other males, who the servants used when running an errand, and a chestnut mare, which he intended for Sarah to ride.

"This is Shadow,' he said, patting the horse gently. "And this," he said, stepping away and motioning her to come closer to the mare, "is Piper. She's a magnificent horse. I think you two will get along just fine." Sarah reached up and stroked Piper's cheek.

"Have you ridden a horse before?" Jareth asked her. Sarah nodded, starting to climb up into the saddle. Jareth stood by to make sure she didn't need help, going over to Shadow only when she was safely astride and comfortable on the horse.

He led her out of the stable and across a field, toward a trail that led through a wooded area. Jareth glanced back at her. _She looks beautiful._

They walked in silence through the woods for a little while. Shadow seemed grateful to get out of the stable. Jareth was aware of the rather amusing fact that people and goblins irked him, but horses commanded his respect and admiration. He had loved horses his entire life.

He looked to the right and saw that Sarah was looking at him curiously.

"What?"

She smiled. "You seem peaceful here. It's nice to see you relaxed." She blushed, as if she had said too much.

They came to an open field again. Jareth looked over at Sarah, grinning. Then he dug his heels into Shadow's sides, urging him into a canter. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Sarah was following with ease. They ran for a minute more, then allowed the horses to slow down and rest. Sarah was laughing.

"I haven't been on a horse in years," she said, sounding rather winded. Jareth looked at her heaving chest and couldn't help but smirk a little. Sarah noticed and blushed again.

"Here, we'll go through the woods a little more and go to the market. I wouldn't mind a snack." Jareth took them a little way through the woods and led them to a road, which took them to the market. Sarah's eyes widened slightly. _What is she thinking? _

The patrons of the various stands at the market gawked at Jareth and Sarah as they came into the street.

"Don't come here much, do you," Sarah noted. Jareth felt a little sheepish.

"Well, you know, I'm so busy all the time..." he said lamely. They both knew he had never bothered to go into public. _And yet, here I am. This girl is gonna be the end of me, I swear. _ He found he didn't mind.

Jareth dismounted and walked to a stand that was selling fresh fruit and picked out a peach for both him and Sarah. Noticing that Sarah was watching him, he attempted to pay, but the farmer would have none of it. Jareth waited until the goblin was dealing with another customer to deposit the money on the counter, and hoped the farmer noticed it before some other goblin nabbed it. Jareth saw Sarah smile, and was surprised at the strange feeling he had in his stomach. Strange, yet pleasant.

They led the horses away from the market, into a park of sorts that Jareth was familiar with. There was a pond nearby, where they let the horses rest and get something to drink. Jareth wished he'd had the presence of mind to get apples for the horses.

Sarah sat underneath a large tree that provided some shade; it was a very warm day. Jareth frowned a bit—his pants were going to get dirty. He sighed, sitting down on the grass with her. He cringed as he imagined the green stains that would be left on his backside.

"So," he said, taking a bit of his peach, "what do you think?"

Sarah smiled. "It's beautiful here. I didn't think the Underground was so nice… what I saw when I came here before wasn't nearly as pretty."

Jareth nodded. "It's supposed to be that way. The labyrinth was designed to keep people out of the Underground, sort of a defense. The actual city is wonderful: lakes and buildings and meadows like the one we came here through."

"Have you always lived here?"

Jareth shook his head. "No. Actually, I created the city. The buildings and such were goblin-made, but the actual land was created through magic, much as the labyrinth was." Sarah looked astonished, and he laughed.

"You knew I was capable of performing magic."

"Yes, but I didn't know to what extent." Sarah looked around, still slightly amazed. "Wow."

Jareth chuckled. "I could change anything I wanted to. Add on to it, take away, make one thing something else. I see no reason to change anything just yet, though."

Sarah grinned wryly. "You might consider removing the Bog of Eternal Stench."

Jareth laughed. "But then I wouldn't have anything to threaten anyone with." Sarah looked doubtful at this, but did not comment.

Jareth was making a point of not discussing his feelings for her, nor his desire that she stay with him. _Probably best to leave it for now and give her some time to think._ They finished their peaches and tossed the pits on the ground, then went back to the horses.


	11. Defeat

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and no profit is being made from this work.

* * *

They returned to the castle in time for lunch, after which Jareth excused himself to go to a meeting, leaving Sarah to her own devices. Jareth requested that she remain in the castle for the time being, as things were "unstable." Sarah wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, but decided to heed his words—for once. Thus, Sarah was in the library.

Although her room in the castle was extraordinary, she had spent far too much time in it. During her wanderings as a servant, she had discovered the library during a routine cleaning. It was enormous; wall-to-ceiling bookshelves, several stories high, and filled with every book imaginable, written by goblins or otherwise. Sarah rather thought that Jareth had known she would come looking around here—there were several of her favorite fantasy novels on the shelves. She grabbed one and reclined in a large, cushy chair in the corner by a burning fireplace.

She lost all concept of time in that chair, hardly noticing when the goblins came in to check on the fire. Sarah finally pulled her nose out of the volume when she heard familiar boots on marble floor. She looked up to see Jareth, who peered down to see what book she read. He shook his head.

"Must have been written by a human," he remarked. "I've never read it."

Sarah gapped at him. "How is it that you've never read Beauty and the Beast?"

"No. Haven't found much time to read, unfortunately," he replied, a slight smile on his face at her indignation.

"Well, still, it's been published for a few hundred years now." She shook her head. "You ought to read it."

He only smiled, refusing an answer. She's adorable when she talks about books.

"I merely wanted to let you know that I have another meeting; this one should be shorter, I think. Will you dine with me afterward?"

Sarah nodded, already turning back to her book. Jareth smiled and walked away.

Sarah started, jumping a little in her chair. Jareth stood over her, a hand on her shoulder, looking amused. _Did I fall asleep?_

"I didn't think books were supposed to put one to sleep," he teased, smirking. Sarah scowled.

"Well, you were gone a long time," she grumbled, realizing how lame her excuse was. Jareth instantly looked contrite.

"I'm sorry; if I could have put it off, I would have."

Sarah felt guilty for making him feel badly, though at the same time, she inwardly marveled at the thought that she could make him feel badly_. He really has changed, hasn't he_.

Jareth politely offered her his hand to help her from her chair. Sarah was tempted to ignore it, but suppressed the thought. She set the book on the table next to what she now considered to be "her chair" and rose, walking with him to the door (which he held open for her, much to her astonishment).

Jareth opened doors the whole way to the dining room, then pulled out her chair for her at the table. A goblin came to take their order.

As the goblin stepped away to the kitchens, Sarah looked at Jareth wryly.

"You're being very polite this evening," she said. Jareth looked confused.

"I thought women liked it when men opened doors for them and such," he said. Sarah realized he had about as much experience as she did with this sort of thing—which she found surprising.

"How many women have you been with?" she asked suddenly.

Jareth raised his eyebrows. "That's not usually something one is asked at the dinner table."

Sarah blushed. "You didn't answer the question."

Jareth sighed. "Are you asking how many women I've slept with, or how many people I've been in love with?" Sarah noticed that he didn't shy away from using the term "love."

"Both."

"I've slept with dozens of women, Sarah. Too many to count." Sarah noticed that he did not say this in a bragging manner; he said it as a statement of fact. Instead of the embarrassment she expected to feel, she noted a twinge of jealousy.

It must have shown on her face, for when Jareth spoke again, his voice was softer than before. "Not a single one of them meant anything to me."

Sarah looked up at him, and once again knew instinctively that he was not lying.

"I've never been in love before," he continued, taking a sip of his wine nonchalantly.

Sarah absorbed this knowledge quietly. "None of them meant anything to you," she clarified again, keeping an eye on his expression to see any sign of dishonesty. She saw none.

"Not a single one." He continued to hold her gaze, until Sarah, beet-red in the face, looked away.

"Just wondering." She heard Jareth chuckle.

"You seem to be very interested in the subject, for someone who isn't interested in me," said Jareth as he took another sip of his wine.

"Who says I'm not interested?" Sarah blurted. Seeing the shocked look on his face, Sarah's face colored even more darkly, and she fought the urge to hide under the table.

Jareth smirked. "Really, now," he murmured quietly. Sarah was grateful that he said nothing else. She continued eating in silence. Nothing else was said during dinner.

* * *

Jareth reflected on her slip-up while changing for bed. _Quite an interesting evening._

He was glad that they had been getting along much better than they had previously; she was no longer timid, and they could carry on conversations as they had before. He had also caught her looking at him funny. He did not think she knew she was doing it, but it seemed that when he said something to surprise her, she got a curious look on her face. The same look came over her when he had pulled out her chair at dinner—although then her look had been tainted slightly by something resembling annoyance, which he had not understood until a few moments later.

Her statement about being interested in him was what intrigued him, however. It had previously been his assumption that she was not interested in him as anything more than a platonic relationship. Now, he was able to recall other memories of her, and realized that this was not at all true_. She wants me_, he thought gleefully.

It was an encouraging thought, but he wanted more than a shag from her. He had had many sexual relationships in the past, and he had not been lying to Sarah when he said that he had not had a romantic attachment to any of those women. They had been beautiful, yes, but none of them held a candle to Sarah. They were self-absorbed and materialistic; Jareth knew that they slept with him because of the power he held, or because they found him physically attractive. They had the same feelings for him as he had for them.

He sighed. She was attracted to him, but he had seen no proof that she loved him. None of the rest mattered if she did not want to be with him. He was tired of shagging brainless females. He wanted her by his side.

He groaned in frustration_. This is ridiculous_.

"Why do women have to be so fucking complicated?" he said through his teeth, to no one in particular. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. He strode to the door and yanked it open, marching down the hall to the room in which Sarah slept. He knocked hard on the door three times, and was greeted by Sarah, looking rather alarmed.

"What—" she started, cut off by Jareth pushing his way past her into the bedroom.

Jareth started pacing across the room. After a few moments, he looked up at her.

"Do you know how unbelievably frustrating you are?" he asked her, a hard look in his eyes.

Sarah gaped at him, obviously completely baffled. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Jareth glared at her. "I don't understand you. I try my hardest, and you seem to like me—you admitted you were attracted to me—and you still turn me down. Why?" he asked her furiously.

Sarah blinked, completely at a loss for words. Jareth sighed, exasperated.

"I've tried everything I can think of. I got books for you, I make sure to be nice to the staff… I'd do anything for you. And you're driving me crazy!" he fumed.

Sarah was beginning to get angry. "That's not fair. You started doing those things out of guilt for locking me in a basement, not out of any feeling for me." She stared right back at him.

"That's complete bullshit!" he exploded. "I tried, Sarah. You wouldn't let me do things for you." He looked down at the plush carpet. "I don't know what to do."

He glanced back up to see that Sarah no longer looked hurt. She looked… like she wanted to comfort him, actually. She chewed her lip, taking a tentative step forward. She stepped in front of him and touched his face gently. Jareth almost purred at her touch—she had never touched him before.

"I'm confused," she said softly. "I didn't think…" she sighed.

Jareth looked at her, puzzled. "What?"

"I didn't think you actually cared about me," she said, closing her eyes. She looked like she was in pain. Jareth hated it.

"Of course I do," Jareth said, embarrassed. He refused to look her in the eyes. _What if she turns me down again? _

"I don't know what to do, either," Sarah said after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "I don't know how to just leave everything…" She looked like she was going to cry, and Jareth fought the urge to put his arms around her_. What a strange impulse_.

"Sarah," he said, tipping her chin up so she had no choice but to look him in the eye. "I love you. And if you… don't feel the same way, I'll just have to deal with it." He had to fight to keep the defeat out of his voice. He realized he really would do anything for this girl, including giving her up, if it made her happy.

"I don't know," Sarah whispered.

Jareth did his best to smile. "It's alright, love." He sighed. "I think I'll go to bed. It's been a long day." Sarah nodded in agreement. The king strode to the door and pulled it open, stepping into the hall. Sarah said nothing.

_Well, that was that_, he thought. _She doesn't want to be with me._

He felt as if someone had stabbed him through the chest repeatedly with a dull knife. _I should have treated her better when I had the chance. _

_Now, just to tell the Council_, he thought. He reflected that this meant he would be losing his kingdom within the next few years; the reason for the marriage law was to keep one king from running it alone for too long—his kind lived for hundreds of years, and played a part in running the Underground, but one person could not have sole control of it for an extreme length of time. They would be sending someone either in his place or as an apprentice to him until Jareth could no longer rule. Only being married could nullify this. All of the other Underground kings were married or had hand-picked other officials to help run the kingdom.

He found that losing his crown did not bother him. Losing Sarah was a much greater blow; he did not have a desire to be married to anyone else. She would be going home soon; it would be uncomfortable for the both of them if she were to stay much longer.

He crawled into his bed, and covered himself with the silk sheets, willing himself to sleep.


	12. Resolve

Disclaimer: I own nothing—I just play with the characters.

A/N: This is the last chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Seeing the sunlight start to stream through the window, Sarah sighed. She swung her legs over the bed and got to her feet. Rubbing her eyes, she looked in the mirror over the dresser. _I look like hell._

After the conversation with Jareth, she had been unable to sleep. Instead, she sat up and thought.

Why was she so against being with Jareth, anyway? So he had been less than kind to her before. How much time had passed since then? He was sweet to her, and genuinely cared about her. He was funny and, dare she admit it, sexy as hell. He wanted her for her. And what was holding her back? The idea that maybe she could somehow make her life Aboveground suck less. Her parents didn't speak to her, she had no friends, and Jareth had said he would be amenable to Toby visiting whenever she wanted.

_I'm being an idiot_, she realized. There was no doubt in her mind now that she loved him back.

She reached into the wardrobe and grabbed a pair of jeans, then frowned. Not cute enough. She strode to the large walk-in closet and looked around. A dress caught her eye—a blue sweetheart dress with spaghetti straps that came a few inches above the knee. Rhinestones lined the underside of the bust, which was ruched and slightly padded. She grinned; Jareth would love this on her. She pulled it on and brushed out her hair, leaving it straight and parting it off to the side. She used some makeup she found in the nightstand, keeping it natural, then quickly checked her outfit in the mirror. Cute, she decided. She pulled on some sandals—grateful that it was such a nice day out—and walked out the bedroom door, working to keep the nervousness from showing on her face.

She half-jogged down the stairs, briskly walking down the hallway leading to the dining room to see if Jareth was there yet. She stopped outside the door at the sound of voices.

"…know the rules, Jareth. I'm sorry, but we'll have to send someone. You'll no longer be king in a few weeks."

Sarah heard Jareth growl, sounding frustrated. "I can only do so much—I can't very well force her to marry me. This is a ridiculous law," he muttered.

_He can't be king?_ Sarah had not realized that by not having a wife, Jareth would no longer be allowed to rule the Labyrinth. This thought made her angry. _He's put so much work into this city!_

Sarah peeked around the door. Jareth and another tall man stood by the table. The stranger put his hand on Jareth's shoulder in a comforting gesture. Jareth hung his head and pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand.

"She's not interested?" the man asked, sounding disbelieving.

"Not enough to want to marry me. She's not in love with me, Feandan." Jareth sighed. "I give up. She's not happy here."

"And you're willing to just give up your crown for that? Marry someone else, Jareth!"

Jareth was shaking his head before Feandan had even finished his sentence. "I don't want anyone else."

They were both silent for a moment. "Well, I don't pretend to understand it. But if this is what you would prefer…." Feandan shook his head. "I'm here for you, old friend. Anything you need…"

Jareth put his hand on the stranger's shoulder. "Thank you," Sarah barely heard him say. "I'm sure I'll be getting a visit from one of the Elders soon."

"I'd rather not witness that, personally," Feandan said. "I'll tell them your decision and try to spare you the visit, if you'd like."

"No, I think I'd quite like to give them a piece of my mind, actually," Jareth replied.

Feandan laughed. "I don't doubt it. Best be off, though." He hugged Jareth, much t Sarah's surprise, and turned toward the door. Sarah backed around the corner again, standing up against the wall.

Feandan came around the corner and stopped abruptly at the sight of her. He stared impolitely for a moment, then turned and walked away, shaking his head and murmuring about "silly love nonsense." Sarah scowled after him for a moment before turning and walking through the doors to the dining room.

Jareth heard her approach. He looked up, and Sarah had the satisfaction of watching his eyes bulge at the sight of her. She hid a smirk.

"Good morning," she said, coming to stand by where he was seated.

"Good morning," Jareth said softly.

"I couldn't help but overhear," she said. Jareth refused to look at her, staring instead at the table.

"You won't marry anyone else?" she asked him. He did not answer her. In truth, Sarah was touched that he would have no one else. She fought to keep the emotion off her face.

"Well," she said after a moment, "I suppose I'll just have to do it, then." She faked a great sigh. Jareth looked at her, then narrowed his eyes.

"I don't want you to marry me," he said. His voice sounded cold.

Sarah's eyes widened. "But… then what the hell was all that about these last few weeks?" She had to fight the hurt that his statement ad brought.

Her pain must have showed on her face. Jareth stood, looking down at her.

"I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do," he murmured.

"Who says I don't want to?" she said stubbornly.

Jareth tipped her head up by her chin. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm tired of trying to convince myself that I'm not in love with you."

Jareth seemed, for once, at a loss for words. He took a deep, ragged breath. "When did this come on?" he asked finally.

"Oh, it's been awhile now. I just decided I don't want to be without you," she said, smiling at him. Jareth smiled back.

Sarah fought to keep a straight face. "But, you know, us human girls… we're suckers from tradition. And you never really asked me to marry you."

Jareth grinned, lowering himself to one knee. He controlled his expression, though Sarah could see that behind the amusement, he looked positively victorious. He took her hand in his.

"Sarah," he began, looking into her eyes. "Will you do me the great honor of marrying me?"

Hearing the words come from his mouth evoked tears from Sarah. She wiped at one eye to keep the salty liquid from falling. "Yes,' she breathed. Jareth grinned from ear to ear.

"Thank you." He kissed her hand and stood. He regarded her for a moment.

"And this isn't out of pity," he confirmed. She shook her head.

"I've always loved you," she admitted. Jareth smirked and touched his hand to her cheek, lightly caressing the side of her face. He leaned in and captured her lips with his, almost purring when he felt her sigh. He pulled away, smiling. Taking her hand, he led her around the table and pulled out her seat so they could order breakfast.

"By the way," he added, taking his own seat, "that dress looks absolutely marvelous on you." Sarah noticed the way his eyes traveled down her body and up again, a hungry look on his face that she was sure had nothing to do with breakfast. She blushed.

* * *

EPILOGUE

They were married two weeks later, in a small ceremony which only Ludo, Sir Didymus, Hoggle, Toby, and Feandan attended, though the citizens of the Labyrinth celebrated the marriage of their king for two days.

After the wedding, Sarah found that she was learning about the runnings of the Labyrinth with great speed. Goblins felt comfortable going to her for advice, and she found she rather enjoyed helping others.

Jareth had kept his promise, and Sarah and Toby visited together frequently. Toby had no qualms about Jareth; they got along famously. Jareth was teaching Toby horseback riding.

Sarah's relationship with Jareth had stayed the same: they bickered frequently, but they also had great long discussions which were not always about politics. Jareth had taken to reading some of the books Sarah found interesting—his favorite so far was Beauty and the Beast, which he said reminded him of their relationship.

Sarah very seldom thought about her previous life Aboveround—for, after all, it had not been much of a life, though she wished she had realize it sooner. As the wife of the Goblin King, she aged as he did, and was looking forward to spending the next several hundred years arguing with Jareth. As she looked out the window of their shared bedroom, Sarah found that she would have it no other way.

* * *

FIN

A/N: I enjoyed writing these last few chapters immensely—a huge thank you to all who reviewed. Sarah's dress was a Ruby Rox dress, found at the Macy's website. Thank you all again—and please review!


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